Michael Owen has warned that Liverpool could end up paying "through the nose" for Bradley Barcola if Paris Saint Germain keep their price high. The French club are reported to value Barcola at around £145 million, while Liverpool have already increased their offer from €100 million to €117 million. PSG still hold him under contract until 2028.
Why the fee looks so steep
Owen's point is blunt. "That sounds extortionate, doesn't it? For someone that's not proven in the Premier League. If it gets to £145m, I mean, wow, that's eye-watering," he said to liverpoolecho.co.uk. He was even more direct when talking about the buying club's position: "The problem is everybody knows you're desperate for a top-class player, so you're going to have to pay through the nose."
That is the pressure Liverpool are running into. Barcola is only 8 appearances into the verified 2026 season sample, but he has already scored 3 goals and holds a 7.09 season rating. His most recent listed match brought a 7.9 rating and a goal, which helps explain why PSG are not under any obvious pressure to soften their stance. PSG finished 1st in Ligue 1 in 2025, so there is no competitive reason for them to move cheap.
Salah's exit keeps the market tight
The Liverpool interest is happening in the shadow of Mohamed Salah's departure. One source describes him as a new Trabzonspor player, while another says the move is still at the point of being poised for an official unveiling. Carragher's view was that Salah is too good for Trabzonspor anyway, saying he should have stayed in Serie A and that Turkey feels a level too low.
That context matters because Liverpool are not shopping from a position of comfort. They need a winger who can carry major attacking responsibility, and the price on Barcola reflects exactly that sort of market. Owen's warning feels fair: if PSG want £145 million and Liverpool know they need a replacement, the selling club have almost all the leverage.
The next question is not whether Liverpool admire Barcola, but whether they are prepared to keep pushing beyond €117 million when PSG's asking price is still being framed at around £145 million.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
